Cat and Mouse: The Mysterious Russian Satellite That Threatened to Harm Ukraine's Eyes

A mysterious Russian satellite, 'Kosmos 2612', approached within hundreds of meters of an American satellite assisting Ukraine, raising Western concerns of espionage or sabotage. The Russian satellite was launched in April under a veil of secrecy and began maneuvers in late September. Experts warn this could be the start of a broader campaign.

A mysterious Russian satellite, 'Kosmos 2612', approached within a few hundred meters of an American satellite assisting the Ukrainian military, according to a report in The New York Times. The Russian satellite was launched last April under a veil of secrecy, and in late September began precise maneuvers to close the distance with the ICEYE-X36 satellite, operated by a Finnish company with an American subsidiary that provides three-dimensional images to Kyiv. Officials at the tracking company LeoLabs noted that the distance was reduced to a few hundred meters at an altitude of about 540 kilometers, without the Western satellite taking evasive action. Over the weekend, the Russian satellite began to move away, but experts fear this could be the start of a broader campaign of sabotage or espionage in space.